Who’s to Blame? The MMR, Drug Companies……
Asks today’s Mental Nurse on the oft, oft debated topic of autism and MMR:
You’ve discovered the devastating news that your child is autistic. You want an explanation for why this is happening to your family. Ideally, it would also be nice to have someone to blame. What would you rather hear? “Well, autism is still a very poorly-understood condition, and there’s no real definitive proof as to the actual cause” or, “It was the MMR vaccine that did it, and the doctors and drug companies are responsible”
Believe it or not, some parents (myself included) are all right with hearing the first response about autism being a “poorly-understood condition”: More and more is understood about autism today than ever before, and we have a better and better sense about schools and education for autistic children as well as supports for them and for their families. Also, I think it equally important that genetics be mentioned in any conversation about a cause of autism—–and I think it all right that I don’t always myself know the right thing to do to help my son. As he gets older, I again and again learn that the best way to judge what is best for Charlie is to look to Charlie himself, and not to point fingers at doctors and drug companies.
8 opinions for Who’s to Blame? The MMR, Drug Companies……
Autismville
Nov 26, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Couldn’t agree more. It’s hard to move forward when you’re constantly looking back … seeking something/anything to blame. Feels counterproductive to me at this point in our journey.
Kassiane
Nov 26, 2007 at 6:47 pm
I’d rather hear “we don’t know for sure but it’s probably polygenetic” than “You’re toxic! Toxic! You were damaged in early childhood!” my whole life.
Not like anyone ever listens to autistic people though. THeyre too busy calling us damaged waste dumps.
-cynical kassiane
mommy~dearest
Nov 27, 2007 at 11:39 am
Yep- I’m totally fine with progressing into the future and not lamenting about “what did or did not happen”. Jaysen is going to be Jaysen, much as any child is.
Anne Lindenfeld
Nov 27, 2007 at 1:34 pm
You bring up a good point, and one that I have struggled with. In my immediate to cousin level family, there are several individuals living with a range of autism and autism-related tendencies. I have recently spoken about us as an “autism spectrum family”, which seems to about cover it.
I don’t like to label us, but I also am sick and tired of treating autism like it’s some kind of sinister secret. I figure that the more I acknowledge autism in a matter-of-fact way, the less people will view us as a bunch of oddballs.
Chuck
Nov 27, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Every single individual has “autism-related tendencies” but that does not put them on the “Spectrum”. Where is the line drawn?
Elissa
Nov 27, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Looking at the past will never change the future, and in fact can only ever have a damaging effect on your ability to get up and get on with things.
Upon hearing a diagnosis a parent naturally asks the question “why?”, but to linger on it can only cause frustration and anger. And how can this be good for the child?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Nov 27, 2007 at 11:49 pm
For us, lingering over the past just gets in the way and distracts me from “being with” Charlie in the moment, in every way that I can. And we have such good times—-and the tough ones can be really tough, but we get through it, together.
Daisy
Nov 28, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I’d rather hear the truth, even if the truth is “We don’t really know.”
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: